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Some of the members of Parliament on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee
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MPs concerned with quality of legal training
Parliament - Members of Parliament on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee have proposed that Law be studied only as a second degree, citing growing concerns over the quality of legal education in the country. The recommendation was raised by Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu and Soroti District Woman MP Anna Adeke during an interface with officials from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, as the Committee considered the ministry’s 2025/26 Ministerial Policy Statement.
“Any lawyer will tell you that we have a challenge with the quality of legal training,” Katuntu said. “There are now so many law schools across different universities producing hundreds of young lawyers. The Law Development Centre (LDC) is struggling to absorb them, and even those who make it through, there is something missing in their training.”
Katuntu
Katuntu questioned whether it was time Uganda followed examples from other jurisdictions, where law is offered as a postgraduate course, to produce more well-rounded legal professionals.
“Isn't it time that we have Law offered as a second degree? It would create better lawyers,” he said. “Take, for example, someone with a Bachelor of Commerce who then becomes a lawyer. That person is better placed to advise on investment than a Senior Six graduate who directly joins law school.”
He further emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary expertise in legal practice:
“Imagine a lawyer with a background in architecture handling a case involving the collapse of a building like Sheraton, or a doctor-lawyer addressing medical negligence. These are the kinds of professionals we need to meet the growing complexity in legal matters.”
Hon. Anna Adeke raised similar concerns, pressing the Ministry on how it is managing the surge in law graduates and the increasing pressure on LDC, the sole institution offering the Diploma in Legal Practice—a mandatory requirement for becoming an advocate in Uganda.
Anna Adeke
“I want to know how you, as the regulator, are handling the influx of young law graduates joining LDC,” Adeke stated. “Every year, the numbers increase. In the next academic year, we could have 4,000 to 5,000 students, yet LDC remains the only entity mandated to offer the diploma in legal practice. Are you concerned about the quality of advocates being produced?”
She added that despite LDC’s efforts to decentralize and increase intake, the institution is “very overwhelmed,” making the situation unsustainable. The remarks highlight growing unease in the legal fraternity about the future of legal education and practice in Uganda, as more universities roll out law programs without commensurate structures to ensure quality. The Ministry is expected to respond with its strategy on managing legal education and the future of the LDC.
Torch Media Africa
